The Bear's group-written obituary & memorial thread

Since we excel at group stories, it seems like we can help ease our loss by offering our version. No word limits, feel free to add a sentence or paragraph, or a quote from one of his many posts on here.
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Michael F. Raczko, 64, of Swanton, Ohio, died on October 18 due to complications of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He was a frequent contributor to Cyburbia, where his handle was Bear Up North.

His own words on Facebook

Approaching 64, hair is back (but not much) even after years of chemo, radiation, and bone marrow transplant.....4-time mention in national and international news via Lake Superior State's BANISHED WORDS list published every year on New Year's Day.....grand prize winner in poetry contest, THE BLADE, mid-1970s.....co-author cover story for APICS magazine (65,000 circulation).....married, son and his family residing in Portland, OR.....Go Steelers, Go Blue !!! Creator of the world's largest hand-drawn fictional city map! Married to Katie, best damn wife I ever had!

Founder and Planner of De Noc; loved his Michigan sports teams specially University of Michigan Football and those Detroit Tigers; favorite vacation spot - anywhere in the Michigan UP; frequent contributor to Cyburbia; Loved his wife Katie and kids.

Most of us never met Michael F. Raczko in person but, as Bear Up North, he touched many of our lives intimately with his story telling ability and his openness about his life. We looked forward to his observations about the foibles of life and will deeply miss his ability to give us details in a way that made us feel as though we were fellow participants in his past and current adventures. In this online environment where anonymity encourages sarcasm and snarky comments, Bear unfailingly trod on higher ground. We are the poorer for his loss but richer for having known him.

“Death comes when memories of the past exceed the vision for the future.”

Eclectic taste in music, with particular fondness to horn bands of the 1970's including Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, Lighthouse, Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago. From his garage, also known to routinely exceed Swanton noise ordinance standards, particularly on Saturday afternoons.

Most of us never met Michael F. Raczko in person but, as Bear Up North, he touched many of our lives intimately with his story telling ability and his openness about his life. We looked forward to his observations about the foibles of life and will deeply miss his ability to give us details in a way that made us feel as though we were fellow participants in his past and current adventures. In this online environment where anonymity encourages sarcasm and snarky comments, Bear unfailingly trod on higher ground. We are the poorer for his loss but richer for having known him.

Most of us never met Michael F. Raczko in person but, as Bear Up North, he touched many of our lives intimately with his story telling ability and his openness about his life. We looked forward to his observations about the foibles of life and will deeply miss his ability to give us details in a way that made us feel as though we were fellow participants in his past and current adventures. In this online environment where anonymity encourages sarcasm and snarky comments, Bear unfailingly trod on higher ground. We are the poorer for his loss but richer for having known him.

I wanted to see Bear and RJ play basketball. I wanted to drink beer with them (even though I'm not much of a beer drinker). We would have called Bear one of the "Great Cyburbians" we wanted to meet, and almost went to a Stanfest a couple years ago, but we just couldn't do it. We will regret that for a long time.

We were like in the same school, but different classes so we never talked. I can't say that I've read all of his posts or knew very much about him. However, I do know that he has impacted Cyburbia in a way that even some of the longest-term members cannot claim. I offer my condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone who's saddened by his passing. Be comforted in knowing that he's no longer suffering.

I was just browsing through some of Bear's posts over the years, and came across this one, in which he sums up his contributions to Cyburbia. But I think ofos really gets to the heart of it with his eloquent tribute.

I was just browsing through some of Bear's posts over the years, and came across this one, in which he sums up his contributions to Cyburbia. But I think ofos really gets to the heart of it with his eloquent tribute.

Michael "Bear" Raczko, age 64, of Swanton, passed away at St. Lukes Hospital on Thursday, October 18, 2012. He was born on August 28, 1948, in Toledo to Ed and Helen (Sorosiak) Raczko. Mike was employed by Impact Products as an operation manager. He loved basketball, fishing and camping in the Upper Peninsula where he always wanted to live and he liked city planning with his friends at Cyburbia. He was an avid fan of the Michigan Wolverines, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike was a hard worker who loved his family the most.

A celebration of Mike's life will be on Sunday, October 21, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. at Valleywood Golf Course, 13502 Airport Hwy., Swanton, OH. Memorial contributions may be made to the . Arrangements by Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home. Online condolences may be shared with the family at walkerfuneralhomes.com

Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey

Curious and caring

Our Bear's frequent postings held a common theme. He loved to share information on many topics, and outlined details in a way that would have worked in any educational setting.

Thinking back, he'd see a news item containing a peripheral detail (say, distribution). And he'd toss up a post containing several hundred words describing the connection, and an introduction to the process. Always in an interesting and entertaining way, with asides and comments that picked up other subsets of his global viewpoint. (I'm remembering many remarks about his life journeys: relationships, jobs, cars, sports teams...)

Whether the detail was the heralded talking urinal cake or the banned words list, Mike would evidently spend quite some time thinking about it, and then share those pearls of wisdom on here.
A number of his posts dealt with mortality; cancer survival, funeral playlist, and legacies, all logical trains of thought.

Met him once, at a laefest. Our verbal conversation easily segued from whatever topics we'd been typing about on here. Seeing him and Katie in person reinforced all the easy-going comfort of their partnership.

I had been avoiding looking into this thread for a while now. I just knew it would make me sad. And it did. Especially that photo of his ashes. Jesum! But we got a mention in the obit so folks know we’re here and thinking of him. I never even met the man, but sh!t, his genuineness showed through. Here’s to you, Mike!

Our Bear's frequent postings held a common theme. He loved to share information on many topics, and outlined details in a way that would have worked in any educational setting.

Thinking back, he'd see a news item containing a peripheral detail (say, distribution). And he'd toss up a post containing several hundred words describing the connection, and an introduction to the process. Always in an interesting and entertaining way, with asides and comments that picked up other subsets of his global viewpoint. (I'm remembering many remarks about his life journeys: relationships, jobs, cars, sports teams...)

Whether the detail was the heralded talking urinal cake or the banned words list, Mike would evidently spend quite some time thinking about it, and then share those pearls of wisdom on here.
A number of his posts dealt with mortality; cancer survival, funeral playlist, and legacies, all logical trains of thought.

Yes! I always looked forward to Bear's posts. He had a certain eloquence - a real voice - that not everybody has. Add to that the fact that he was forever positive. I was also amazed at his range of interests and knowledge. Who did not read his commentary and leave with a smile, or a new thought kindled?

I don't want to embarrass that other Cyb I'm married to, so I'll start by saying I cried a bunch last week. He got teary-eyed for the first time in the 7 years we've been together.I know a lot of people don't believe in cremation; we do. Still hard to see that proof that Bear is gone.
Thanks to those Cybs keeping us up to date.

Make it five!

Originally posted by Veloise

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael F. Raczko, 64, of Swanton, Ohio, died on October 18 due to complications of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He was a frequent contributor to Cyburbia, where his handle was Bear Up North.

His own words on Facebook

Approaching 64, hair is back (but not much) even after years of chemo, radiation, and bone marrow transplant.....4-time mention in national and international news via Lake Superior State's BANISHED WORDS list published every year on New Year's Day.....grand prize winner in poetry contest, THE BLADE, mid-1970s.....co-author cover story for APICS magazine (65,000 circulation).....married, son and his family residing in Portland, OR.....Go Steelers, Go Blue !!! Creator of the world's largest hand-drawn fictional city map! Married to Katie, best damn wife I ever had!